Is it my overactive Conspiracy Theory gene or just a convenient juxtaposition of uncorrelated random events occurring entirely un-coincidentally? You’d have to wonder when, just as the Government is expounding on the propensity of the ‘old buggers brigade’ to be an excruciatingly enormous drag on the public purse with their demands for pensions, their untrammelled overuse of the medical system, their expectation that they be treated with dignity and respect as they age in absolute luxury, dragging their heels and delaying their exit from the planet, this suddenly appears courtesy of the Grattan Institute which claims to be assisting the shaping of Australia’s direction as a liberal democracy. Is that liberal or Liberal?

“Over the last decade, older households captured most of the growth in Australia’s wealth. Despite the global financial crisis, households aged between 65 and 74 today are $200,000 wealthier than households of that age eight years ago. Meanwhile, the wealth of households aged 25 to 34 has gone backwards.

In part, the wealth of generations has diverged because of the boom in housing prices. Older households made big capital gains. With lower and falling rates of home ownership, younger households shared less of this windfall.

Incomes also grew fastest for older Australians, allowing them to add more to their wealth by saving. Households aged 55-64 saved $12,000 in 2010, up from $1000 in 2004. Households aged 25 to 34 controlled their spending just as tightly, but their savings only increased to $11,000 in 2010 from $4000 in 2004, because their incomes did not rise as much.

Governments are also spending much more on older households for pensions and services, particularly health. In 2010, governments spent $9400 more per household over 65 than they did six years before. Budget deficits funded much of the increased spending. Future taxpayers will have to repay the debt, dragging further on the prosperity of younger generations.” [The wealth of Generations. John Daley & Danielle Wood. Grattan Institute, December 2014]

I haven’t read the report in detail as yet but it’s rather convenient release during the Government lead “Baby Boomer Kick-in” seems a tad more than just coincidental. Grattan Institute I am a looking into you!!

But! Enough of potentially evil plots. There’s been so much going on over the past week that this little GM has got a little overblown and as a consequence there are a couple more evaluations of the political gymnastics of the week – more or less. My personal thanks to the Lieberal Party and their Neutered Puppies for their wealth of idiosyncratic misadventure!

We had our ‘couldn’t build a canoe’ Defence Minister found doing pretty much what most politicians appear to do when the whim takes them. And, trust me, there are lots and lots of whims!

We had Health Minister Dutton showing his strong commitment to compromising with a recalcitrant Senate as long as it was done his way.

And as promised last week we’ve dug up a few books from the remainders pile that should give you some entertaining reading as you recover from the Christmas Pudding Bloat and the Large Lager Sandwich. Julia Gillard has come out with a racy little book, full of juicy snippets of political life and lots of belly laughs.

Cory Bernardi has delivered his best bit of work for ages with this exhilarating piece of mystical mysticism and fantasy writing.

And Tony Abbott has described, in gory detail, how a whole pile of incontrovertible evidence held by a majority of practitioners can turn around and bite you on the bum when it gets so hot you can’t even get a cold one from the fridge!

That Bloody Rat popped out of his den to express his delight at our beloved Treasurer busy blaming everyone, including past Treasurers, except himself for his Big Budget Stuffup!

He thought that Bill Shorten’s ability to throw out a killer (or is that zinger) one liner was improving.

And speaking of Julie and the apparent ‘bananas’ incident, we thought it might have gone something like this when, allegedly, our Prime Winky Dill told her that Peta Credlin said she couldn’t got to Lima.

And if all those rumours were true, and with politicians you just never know, the resultant exchange between Peta and Julie may have gone something like this.

And I suspect that the PWD got his marching orders when he accused the rest of his party (inclusive of the females?) as a bunch of misogynistic malcontents. Given his record in this department, he should know!

And all this, and a deep despair, led to the incontrovertible view that under this Lieberal/Neutered Puppy government life as an under-employed poor person in the good ole U S of A might be preferable to where this country was heading. Still! It’s Christmas next week, hey?

And there you have it . . . . . . . .!

Except for;

AFTERTHOUGHT: If you don’t punish politicians and their parties for lying to you, you are predetermining your treatment as a fool!

POSTSCRIPT: All characters appearing in this work are entirely, and amazingly, fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living, dead or in a zombie like state, is purely coincidental with an exceptionally high probability of being the construct of a deluded mind trying to grasp the true meaning of the political unreality of Australian politics, al la NO Coalition! We can only gaze upon such greatness with wonderment!

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About deknarf

Australian born and bred who has spent most of his working life in R&D and IP management with earlier forays in the newspaper industry and martial arts. Fortunate enough to be living in one of the best countries in the World, even though I might get grumpy with it from time to time.

Great GMs as always, Deknarf. Have a fabulous Christmas & a wonderful New Year to come with many more astute GMs. After all this is the Abbott government, the government which keeps on giving more GM material than your fertile imagination can ever use. A surfeit in fact. 🙂 .

Thanks Joy! All the best to you also for the Festive Season and the Year of the Sheep.
As per usual Rabbott’s Team Worstralia has provided plenty of ammunition for the GM’s — in excessiveness! I’m sure they’ll maintain the output during 2015!

How anyone so flinthearted as Morrison could have us believe he’s a christian is beyond me. Typical happy clapper . Hasn’t a true christian bone in his body. Nasty vile man who thrives on making people’s lives a misery & he wants to be PM!!!!

Morrison’s been sent to do a job on Welfare. Stay tuned for welfare changes which do not have to go through the Senate as legislation. Team Worstralia is now playing legal gymnastics outside the parliamentary process.

Australian born and bred who has spent most of his working life in R&D and IP management with earlier forays in the newspaper industry and martial arts. Fortunate enough to be living in one of the best countries in the World, even though I might get grumpy with it from time to time.